US Abortions Nearly Double 4 Years After Roe Overturn as Online Pill Prescriptions Spread
Updated
Updated · KUOW News and Information · Jun 22
US Abortions Nearly Double 4 Years After Roe Overturn as Online Pill Prescriptions Spread
3 articles · Updated · KUOW News and Information · Jun 22
Summary
Nearly twice as many abortions are now occurring in the U.S. as before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, despite state-level bans.
Online prescribing and mail delivery of abortion pills are driving that increase, giving patients access even where in-person abortion services are restricted.
The new pattern shows state bans have not stopped abortions nationwide so much as shifted how they are obtained, with telemedicine and mailed medication becoming central.
With state abortion bans in effect, why have U.S. abortion numbers nearly doubled?
Can a 150-year-old postal law halt the delivery of abortion pills prescribed online?
As the FDA reconsiders its approval, what is the future of the abortion pill?
The New Abortion Landscape: How Telehealth and Medication Are Sustaining Access in Post-Dobbs America (2025-2026)
Overview
Between 2025 and 2026, abortion rates in the United States remained stable or even increased, defying expectations that state-level bans would sharply reduce access. This resilience was largely due to the rapid rise of medication abortion, which grew from 53% of clinician-provided abortions in 2020 to 65% in 2023, becoming the main method in most states without total bans. The widespread acceptance of medication abortion, combined with the expansion of telehealth services, allowed many people to obtain abortion pills by mail, bypassing geographic and legal barriers and demonstrating the adaptability of both providers and patients in a changing legal landscape.